Surviving the Critique Response

I think that critiques as described in the reading could play a very important role in our class. The reading talks about critiques that involve lengthy discussions between the artist and peers and teachers on what works in a piece of art versus what doesn't work, if a piece of art is cliché, what the work means, and if the art achieves what the artist is trying to achieve with the art. I believe that talking about all these issues in-depth can be a very valuable process for an artist. After I have the chance to talk with someone about my work, my work always develops in an unexpected way that gives my work a fresh twist that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't gotten feedback from somebody. I obviously can't speak for anybody else in the class, but I'd bet that talking through issues inspires other students in the class as well. All the members of the class are also really diligent and independent, so having outside feedback helps everyone to take a step back from the art and see how everyone else is perceiving the art.

I've found from both experience and from reading this packet that the thing that helps me most in a critique is coming in with specific questions for the critics. For example, after reading the final "Girl in a Box" segment, I realised that by coming in with so many specific questions, the girl in the passage will be able to go back to the studio and know exactly what she needs to work on, change, and keep the same. Similarly, whenever I've gone into a critique not knowing what I want to get out of the critique, the critique is usually not as helpful as it could be. I also identify with the "Leave your Ego at the Door" part. I tend to get very attached to my work, especially if it deals with a personal issue of mine or if I've invested a lot of time and energy into a piece. Thus, even if I know that people are just trying to help my piece of art get better, I sometimes feel personally attacked if I get too much negative feedback. For this reason, I'm working on "stepping to the side to get out of the line of fire" because this is "crucial to absorbing what is observed and discussed" (99).

I believe that the best way to be a helpful participant in my classmates critiques is to always be respectful. If people feel as if they are being attacked or judged, they will not feel comfortable or able to really internalise the information. I think that also giving both compliments that show people what their strengths are and criticisms that are very objective and specific are helpful. For example, a compliment such as "I like it" isn't as helpful as "I like how you used texture on the woman's face to highlight her emotions." Similarly, saying something such as "this is bad" is both hurtful and not useful for improving the art. Instead, a specific comment such as this would be more helpful: "the colours on the left side of the painting aren't as vibrant as the colours on the right--- maybe if the left side had another layer of paint, the whole painting would come together more cohesively."